Meet the children’s new best friend

Ever since we came back from our vacation in Oman (read my recent contribution on Momfilter with our desert tale here), we’ve been talking Camels at home. They are funny-looking animals, very resistant, hard-working..quite fascinating.

I first saw this photo on Zid Zid Kids blog. Love it!

Amalya’s new favorite soft toy is a little camel courtesy of Oman Air. Marcelo’s new favorite book is Mary Pop Osborne‘s Season of the  sandstorms…

And the family’s new favorite movie is The Story of the Weeping Camel. Have you seen it? (it’s from 2004). It’s of the narrative documentary genre. You can buy the DVD here or on your local Amazon.

I’ve just seen it for the first time with the children, and we were all captivated by the enchanting story. A mother camel rejects her white baby camel at birth and refuses to nurse him. The villagers, a family of herders in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, use an old trick. They invite a violinist to perform and to sooth her feelings. It works (all ends well!) and the melody bring her closer to her calf. It’s beautifully shot (the Mongolian landscapes are stunning), it’s easy to understand without too many dialogues (Amalya who is not 3 yet loved it as much as all of us), and it’s a moving story.

Here’s an excerpt:

Highly recommended for a family movie night at home…

Ps: Did you know that Llamas, Alpacas and Huanacos are part of the camel family?! Yep. I found out recently, and I looked really smart when I told Amalya and Marcelo.

Ps: Did I mention that I dream of going horseback riding in the Mongolian desert one day? If you’ve ever been there, please share your story x

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